The Last Word - Jack Kerouac

The Last Word
Jack Kerouac
Rhino RI 70939-D
1990

This is the fourth album in Rhino's "Jack Kerouac Collection" box set.  It consists of outtakes and unreleased recordings.  Side one features two 1958 outtakes from "Blues and Haikus."  The first track is "Old Western Movies" which was unpublished.  It is very slight, it is easy to see why it didn't make it on the original album.  The most interesting aspect to it is the patter between Kerouac, the musicians Al Cohn and Zoot Sims and producer Bob Thiele.  There are a couple of false takes before the master.  In take one Cohn and Sims jam a little which prompts some scat vocalizing from Kerouac.  Take two breaks down when the musicians overshadow Kerouac who is apparently too far from the mike.  Thiele tries to instruct Cohn about how he should play, but Kerouac tells the musician to play whatever he wants.  Thiele mentions in the booklet that accompanies the box set, that he didn't think the musicians actually paid any attention to what Kerouac was reading, they just played whatever they felt like and listening to these outtakes I'm inclined to agree.  Kerouac sometimes responds to the music, but the musicians never respond to his work.  On the master take Cohn simply tells Kerouac where to come in and starts playing the piano.  Kerouac sings the beginning of the poem, it is more musical than any of the takes actually used on the original record.  I like it, he's not a great singer, but it is effective and it swings.  Overall it is a nice performance albeit a bit sloppy, too bad the poem is so weak.  I like when Kerouac sings the beginning of the other track, which is "Conclusion of the Railroad Earth," but then it is all downhill from there.  From a literary standpoint this is a strong piece, but Kerouac doesn't read it very well.  He sounds like he's drunk to me.  It is kind of fun but kind of annoying too, like a drunk at a party.  The track could have easily fit on the original "Blues And Haikus" album which is only about 30 minutes long.  I presume that the performance was considered unacceptable, but there is also a little static on the track that might have led to the decision to omit it as well.  Side two opens with Kerouac at the Hunter College Playhouse in 1958 giving a presentation at the "Is There a Beat Generation" forum.  Kerouac is in great form, the audience seems to inspire him.  He tells jokes, impersonates Ben Hecht and reads a rollicking poem about Harpo Marx.  I think he is more charismatic here than on any of the original records.  Not only is Kerouac very entertaining, but the speech itself is extremely interesting.  When he's really on he doesn't need music, he swings on his own.  The final track is from Steve Allen's television show in 1959.  Kerouac reads from "On The Road" and "Visions of Cody" with Allen accompanying him on piano in a very similar manner to the album they did together, "Poetry for the Beat Generation."  The reading here is arguably the smoothest and most disciplined on any of the albums perhaps the giant television audience intimidated Kerouac.  I enjoy it but he seems a bit stifled.  This is a really worthwhile album despite the marginal nature of the recordings.  I think it is just as interesting and revealing as any of the three original albums.  I've read a few biographies and oral histories about Kerouac and this record seems to capture the man the way his associates viewed him.  Recommended to anyone who ever wondered what it would be like to hang out with Jack Kerouac. 

Blues and Haikus - Jack Kerouac

Blues and Haikus
Jack Kerouac
Rhino RI 70939-B
1959

This was Jack Kerouac's second album, originally on Hanover Records, it was re-issued by Rhino in 1990 in a handsome box set, "The Jack Kerouac Collection" along with his other two albums and an album of outtakes.  This is my favorite of the three original albums.  I bought the box at Aron's Records in Hollywood around the time it came out.  I couldn't really afford it, but I was a huge Kerouac fan at the time so I splurged.  I used to be involved in indie filmmaking and had a script based on the Beat Generation so I figured this could be justified as research.  As I've gotten older, Kerouac appeals to me less, he seems more narcissistic and immature to me now, but I still enjoy his style.  This album features Kerouac reading his poetry backed by saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims.  In the first track "American Haikus" the poetry and jazz basically alternate, Kerouac recites his three line poems in silence and then Cohn and Sims alternately improvise a few bars and then Kerouac recites the next poem.  I like the poems quite a bit but I'm not convinced that the jazz really enhances them all that much.  The next track "Hard Hearted Old Farmer" tries to mix the music and poetry more closely.  Kerouac basically sings the poem while Cohn plays piano in the background.  Kerouac isn't much of a singer, but I'm kind of charmed by his awkwardness.  I think as far as jazz/poetry synthesis goes this is perhaps the most successful track.  It is followed by "The Last Hotel" which Kerouac recites over Cohn playing piano and Sims blowing sax.  I think in this instance the music does enhance the poetry and it seems to inspire Kerouac to a more passionate reading.  Side two features "Poems from the Unpublished 'Book of Blues'" for the entire side.  I like this track the best, particularly since it is about San Francisco, my favorite city.  Cohn and Sims duet in the background throughout the poem.  Sometimes I find the music distracting and sometimes it seems to elevate the poetry.  I think it would be interesting if there was a rhythm section that propelled the reading.  It would deny Kerouac some of his freedom perhaps, but I think the propulsive effect might give more force to the reading.  Regardless this track does feature Kerouac's most exciting reading, I find it very engaging.  The music is also very stimulating on this cut, that is why it is distracting, I find myself listening to Sims and Cohn instead of the poem at times.  I like this record quite a bit, it works both as music and poetry.  If you have any interest in Beat poetry or even just the possibilities of spoken word recordings, it is worth checking out.  Recommended for Dharma Bums with a taste for be-bop.